I’ve barely played this version and it really makes it less of a chore compared to the Dreamcast version.
Squad
It’s hard to recommend to new players because of some big issues the game has but it’s the only game that I play 90% for the social interaction it brings.
It’s good but I didn’t really get on with it after a couple chapters. It constantly goes through highs and lows, and although I can be fun I found the lows to be absolute boredom.
There are so many games being made nowadays that it’s not even hard to avoid the shitty “service” games. It’s just that the mainstream gamer/society doesn’t bother looking but there are plenty of games with closure.
Sega had it very rough in the late 90s and 00s which didn’t help but recent time have been much improved for the blue hedgehog. I agree with what you’re saying though that the respect wasn’t there, for Sonic and even their company history.